Phillies pitching prospect Mick Abel will be among 15 non-roster players at spring training

Prized pitching prospect Mick Abel headlines the Phillies’ list of 15 non-roster invitees to spring training.

Abel, No. 64 on Baseball America’s annual ranking of the sport’s top 100 prospects, will attend major-league camp for the second year in a row. He’s expected to open the season in triple A after putting up a 4.14 ERA in 22 double-A starts in 2023.

Other notable non-roster players include power-hitting outfielder Carlos De La Cruz and right-hander Griff McGarry. Control has long been a problem for McGarry, but after he walked 11 of 18 batters over his final two triple-A starts last season, Phillies officials will continue to discuss his role. As of now, the organization still views him as a starter.

“We still think he can do that, but I can’t tell you [for sure],” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month. “I would say we think of him [as a starter], but time will tell.”

Rounding out the non-roster list: right-handers Ryan Burr, Tyler McKay, Tyler Phillips, José Ruiz, and Nick Snyder; catchers Aramis Garcia, Cody Roberts, and William Simoneit; infielders Scott Kingery and Nick Podkul; and outfielders Matt Kroon and Cal Stevenson. Burr, Ruiz, Simoneit, and Snyder signed minor league contracts in the offseason after playing elsewhere last year.

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The Phillies invited 21 nonroster players to spring training a year ago. Manager Rob Thomson suggested that this year’s list could grow if the Phillies are able to add more pitching depth before camp opens next month. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is Feb. 14.